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Hunter Shevlin's in the Civil War?

The History of Greene Country shows Daniel as the only Shevlin from the area to have served in the Civil War.  But is this accurate?  Some of the Hunter Shevlin's moved out of the area after the war and may not have been picked up in the local history.

The following is a list of civil war veterans with surname Shevlin, including variants, whose first names match the Shevlin men from Hunter, Greene County, New York.

[Source:  United States National Archives. Civil War Compiled Military Service Records [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 1999-.]

VRC = Veteran Reserve Corps

Surname Given Name Middle Initial Company Unit Rank - Induction Rank - Discharge Notes Allegiance
Shovelin Cornelius D Indpt. Batt'y. H. Pennsylvania H. Art'y Private Private Union
Shovelin Cornelius 96 Pennsylvania Inf. Private Private Union
Shovelin Dennis A Hatch's Ind. Batt'n Minn. Cav. Saddler Saddler Shevelain, Daniel 75 Ill. Inf. Union
Shevlin Hugh C 93 N. Y. Infantry. Private Private V. R. C. Union
Shevlin Hugh 116 2 Batt'n VRC Private Private 93 N. Y. Vols. 12 Regt. VR C. Union
Shevlin Hugh A 12 VRC. Private Private Shevelin, Hugh Union
Shevlin James E 123 N. Y. Infantry. Private Private Union
Shevlin James H 60 N. Y. Infantry. Private Private 123" N. Y. V. Union
Shevlin James J 2 Maryland Infantry. Corporal Private Union
Shevelin James B 120 Indiana Infantry. Private Sergeant Shevlen James Union
Shovlin James K 71 Pennsylvania Inf. Private Private Shovelin James Union
Shevlin John Batt'y. A. 1 Battalion Pa. L. Art'y Private Private Union
Shevlin John 56 Pennsylvania Infantry. Private Union
Shevlin John C 3 Battalion Rifleman Mass. Mil. Private Private Union
Shivlin John F 4 Massachusetts H. Art'y. Private Private Shirlin, John Union
Shovelin John K 71 Pennsylvania Inf. Private Private Shovelin James Union
Shevelin Michael G 42 Ohio Infantry. Private Private Shevlin, Michael Union
Shevlin Patrick F. C 1 Maine Cavalry. Private Private Union
Shevlin Patrick L 101 Pennsylvania Inf. Private Private Sheveland, Patrick Union
Shevlin Patrick E 116 Pennsylvania Inf. Private Private 1 Del. Vols. Union
Shevlin Patrick C 3 Battalion Rifleman Mass. Mil. Private Private Union
Shovelin Patrick A 15 N. Y. Engineers. (New) 1 Class Private Artificer Union
Shovelin Patrick H 15 N. Y. Engineers. Private Private Union
Shovelin Patrick D 16 Pennsylvania Infantry. Private Private Union
Shevelin Peter     Indpt. Batt'y. C. Pennsylvania L. Art'y Private Private Shorlin Peter Union
Shevelin Peter   I 140 Pennsylvania Inf. Private Private Shevlin Peter Union
Shevlin Peter   B 1 R. I. L. Art'y. Private Private 140 Regt. Penn. Inf. Union
Shevlin Peter   M 4 Pennsylvania H. Art'y Private Private Indep. Batty C. Pa. Lt. Arty. Union
Shevlin Peter   I 140 Pennsylvania Inf. Private Private Batty C. Pa. Arty. Union
Shovlin Peter     Indpt. Batt'y. C. Pennsylvania L. Art'y Private Private Shoolin Peter Union

Were some of these veterans from Hunter?

It is impossible to be certain from the above data alone that any of the Hunter Shevlin's served in the Civil War.  But given that there were only about  200 Shevlin's in the general population and the rareness of the some of the first names listed, it seem probable that at least some of the Hunter Shevlin's did serve.  

In viewing the above list, one should not automatically conclude that a soldier from Hunter served in a New York State unit.  For example, Daniel Shevlin of Hunter is known to have been with the Minnesota cavalry as well as the 75th Illinois Infantry.  He is listed above under the name Dennis Shovelin.

The following table contains the number of Shevlin males age 10 to 50 in the 1860 census with first names that match the above records [See Shevlin's in the 1860 Federal Census at this web site]:

  NAME                            NO. IN 1860 CENSUS
Cornelius 1
Dennis or Daniel 5
Hugh 3
James 7
John 13
Michael 1
Patrick 13
Peter 4

Bearing in mind that census data are not perfect and that someone could have immigrated after 1860, it still appears that Cornelius of Hunter, the only Cornelius Shevlin in the 1860 census, very likely did serve in the Union Army. 

Although there is only one Michael in the census, this was not the Michael from Hunter.  Michael of Hunter may have died by 1860.

For the rest, the odds are difficult to assess.  There are only three Hugh Shevlin's in the census and there are three records, but one is for a veterans reserve group and the others could be for the same person.   For the others, there are more census records but also more service records.  This is especially true for Peter whose name appears four times in the 1860 census and six times in the muster rolls.